Friday, December 02, 2005

400 kgs? no - wait 1000 kg? Garbage garbage everywhere

Their statistics on garbage are now current to 2002. And heavens to Betsy, what we generate!

In total, the nation produced just over 30.4 million tonnes of solid waste in 2002 from all sources, such as residential, industrial, commercial, institutional, construction and demolition. This was 3.9% higher than the total in 2000, and amounted to 971 kg per person on average.

Of this total, the 12 million tonnes of residential waste accounted for just under 40%. Industrial, commercial and institutional sources accounted for just under one-half.

971 kg is a ton! 40 pounds per week? Where does it all come from? The personal part is addressed elsewhere:

Each Canadian generated about 383 kilograms of solid waste on average in 2002, of which about one-fifth was recycled or otherwise diverted, according to a report in the 2005 edition of Human Activity and the Environment, the annual compendium of information on how Canadians interact with their environment.

In 2002, the residential component of Canada's waste was estimated at just over 12 million tonnes, a 6.8% increase from 2000. The total was equivalent to about 383 kg per person, or around 30 green garbage bags.

OK 30 green garbage bags I will buy, but they don't weigh 10 kg each! Or could they? Ahh maybe it is the cat litter.